


Catching Stars

by KoibitoDream



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Best Friends, Communication Failure, Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending, M/M, Relationship Advice, Stupidity, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, Yams is so done, second and third years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-11 20:19:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7906216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoibitoDream/pseuds/KoibitoDream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*takes out handkerchief from sleeve<br/>*blows nose<br/>*sobs</p><p>Oh, these dorks and the shit I write</p><p>*continues sobbing</p><p>But hey, kabedon.</p><p>If ya know where to look.</p>
        </blockquote>





	1. Sometimes, it's better to let go

He may not have what people call a childhood friend that knows you all the way through to your soul and back, but he has a sixth sense that compensates for it.

A sixth sense to recognise important things.

A sense to tell him what to do.

A sense he's not sure whether he can trust any more when it comes to dealing with people and emotions.

Because somewhere along the way, his sense made it look perfectly fine to go ahead and develop deeper feelings for people around him. Feeling like trust.

(It had been right.)

But then it went even further and told him it was also perfectly fine to go ahead and develop a crush on the middle blocker who could rival the Dead Sea with the amount of salt packed into his being.

At the worst timing in the history of horrible timings.

 

And that was also fine. For a while, at least.

It was perfectly normal for childhood friends to sometimes develop deeper feelings for each other. Expected, by some, even.

(Though that bit didn't ease the heavy sinking feeling in his chest when he had to think about it.)

 

He hated himself for that.

He hated the fact that he couldn't be just genuinely happy for them. You know, without feeling like he's about to drown in mud every time he hears them speak to each other.

He hated his sixth sense for having picked up the change in their tone of voice. It started to feel creepy the way he could and would notice things.

_Was he really that selfish of a person?_

 

“You should be.” Sakusa states, blinking at him in genuine confusion, as they're occupying the steps that lead to the gym after a practice match.

Kageyama's a second year and Sakusa a third, and they're from different teams and different towns, even on different positions on the court, but hell, let's see anyone try and stop them from being pals.

But no matter how many times they cross paths, no matter how many text messages they exchange, no matter how many practice matches they have, Kageyama Tobio is and will remain a mystery for Sakusa Kiyoomi.

Like, right now, as they're discussing Kageyama's apparent crush.

He's taking his situation rather well, seeing how he's stuck in a very delicate unenviable situation of  _childhood friend vs_

“ _Sakusa-senpai_ ”, Kageyama begins with a tiny weary quirk of his lips that fucking breaks Sakusa's heart, “ _I'm literally everything he hates._ ”

 

Yep, this kid really doesn't get to have things easy. At all. Especially when one...skips a step in that whole rivals/frenemies to actual friends with a bit of salt to possibly great lovers thing.

_Oh, boy._

 

When every word dies on one's lips, one can only do one thing.

Offer a shoulder and maybe a gentle tousle of a broken-hearted kid's hair in comfort.

 

“ _It's going to take time.” Sakusa says._

“ _I know.”_

“ _Don't go jumping off a bridge.”_

“ _Not without consulting you first.”_

 

_A smile cracks on Sakusa's lips._

 

“ _That's the spirit.”_

 


	2. Sometimes, things just don't develop right

Something was out of place, Yamaguchi can't help but think as they sit on the bus, returning from training camp. Kageyama's awfully quiet (even Hinata stopped trying to get a word out of him some half an hour ago) and so is Tsukki.

He arches a brow in question at his best friend but gets nothing in return – save a view of him staring blankly through the window the whole time.

Yamaguchi could only stare in confusion, blinking at them both, at an utter loss as to what had managed to happen in these short few hours they were busy with _mostly volleyball related stuff_ , if Yamaguchi's memory serves him correctly.

Whatever it was, Yamaguchi will have to get to the bottom of it and fast.

A good year and a half of work was in great danger of falling apart.

Worst of all, Yamaguchi didn't even know yet what that danger was.

If any.

And, of course, asking either of them would be counterproductive.

Well, that's what he gets when he agrees to mediate between the two most stubborn people he's met so far.

At least, there's a weekend coming up when he can calmly think about his next move.

 

Two days later, he came up with nothing. He can't work miracles like that. He need _some_ information to go by. Anything.

“Any luck?” He asks Hinata the following Monday, rubbing his temples.

“None. He's silent as a grave and pale as a ghost.” Hinata says, not looking any better than him. “Although, I think I saw him talk to that...what's his face...Sakusa?”

“What?” Yamaguchi blinks at him, a small frown on his features.

So they all knew they were buddies, pals or something of the sort, no one was sure, but they did recognise that whatever half words and thoughts they did convey with actual spoken words worked like a charm. No one questioned it beyond that, to be honest. The true nature of that particular bond lay shrouded by thick fogs of mystery.

“Yeah, just as we packed up and were ready to go. He didn't look to good so I thought he asked him for some medicine. I hear that guy carries a whole pharmacy with him.”

 

Now that gets Yamaguchi thinking.

Could it be...?

 

Yeah, he'll have to test that theory out.

 

A week later he's ready to bash someone's head against a wall. His own, preferably. Maybe even Tsukki's and Kageyama's. Not against a wall, though. More like against each other's. Because this situation would be ridiculous if it weren't so strained. _God forbid_ either one of them stop for a second and make a damn sound. No. Why have things the easy way when everything can go the bumpy way? By all means; be idiots. See if Yamaguchi cares.

But he _does_ care and he will until something _favourable_ happens.

It isn't until he's sitting on the bench with a towel around his shoulders, talking to Kageyama, who speaks rather normally to him ( _Kageyama_ normal, not _normal_ normal) and the moment Tsukki shows up and makes his round to them that Kageyama stops talking and simply moves. Walks away to get changed after practice. Maybe even wait out somewhere until the gym is empty so he can practice some of his own individual things.

And when it hits, it hits like a train full speed ahead. Hard and merciless and Yamaguchi can't help but to straighten up and gape at his retreating back, wide eyed and not sure whether to cry or to laugh or to do...something. Anything. But he can't. His body refuses to listen to his mind and let's be honest, not even his brain wants to work properly right now.

His first urge is to slap himself. And maybe even Tsukki for that matter when he makes that face at Kageyama's back. The one that shows, for the briefest fleeting moment, how much he's hurt.

Actually, scratch that.

He really wants to hit Tsukki square in the face for being an idiot.

 

“ _Tsukki._ ” He didn't really intend for his voice to come out as a pissed off hiss as he spoke.

“ _The hell are you doing?!_ ” He can't help but to feel genuine annoyance at everything and everyone, including himself. “ _The hell are we doing?!_ ” He gestures between himself and the person he's literally hissing at.

 

Tsukishima nearly jumps at his sudden onslaught. For the life of him, he can't follow Yamaguchi. The first time in his life he comes to that conclusion.

“What?” He asks, on the verge of sounding helpless.

For a second there, Yamaguchi really looks like he's about to hit him. Or start yelling, at best.

“ _Move your ass and get over there and talk to him!_ ” He settles for aggressive hiss-whispering and Tsukishima feels something close to awe just from witnessing Yamaguchi lose his shit like that.

And then his words reach him.

“What? I'm not going to-” He starts, but Yamaguchi will have none of it.

“ _You are and that's final!_ ”

“Why should-” He begins again, but Yamaguchi's still not having any of it.

“ _Tsukishima Kei!_ ”

“He's not-” Now Tsukishima feels more than aggravated at Yamaguchi's behaviour since they're obviously in sync on the topic at hand and he's not about to-

“Of course not!” Yamaguchi finally yells, really loud, in a blissfully empty gym, looking like he's ready to kill someone. “Not if he thinks there's something going on between us!”

He pinches the bridge of his nose in sheer frustration.

_Why did this become so...what'stheword..._

 

Tsukishima opens his mouth to say something, but whatever it was, it died in his brain long before he decided to say it.

“And this is what we get from jumping to conclusions.” Yamaguchi says, a lot calmer now, a small smile already playing at his lips because it's _that_ hilarious.

“No, he-”

He what? He stopped and pulled back at the same time Tsukishima came to terms with himself (also driving Yamaguchi mad) and _finally relaxed and-_

_Shit._

Of course he'd jump to conclusions. Who wouldn't? Really. Seeing their crush make a 180 around their childhood friend and-

_Crap._

The revelation hits Tsukishima like a ton of bricks.

_Wow._

He pulled back. He dropped a year and a half of... _everything, really, every soft spoken word, every unconscious move, every single thing he's done_...the moment he saw him all happy and totally not himself around Yamaguchi.

_Damn._

_Tsukishima doesn't think he'd be able to do that._

 

The moment their eyes meet, they both start laughing.

 

_Stupidity is confirmed to be boundless._

 


	3. Sometimes, things need a little help to fall into their place

Pale as death is the prefect description befitting the colour, or the lack of it, of Kageyama's face.

He's not about to back down for anything or anyone when it comes to the game of volleyball and anything and everything related to it, even at the cost of losing a whole team. Confirmed.

But this is different.

This is a team that tries to understand him and is quite successful at it. There are people here who encourage him and his enthusiasm while making sure he doesn't fall unconscious in the mean time. It's everything he never dared to really hope for.

His relationship with his team mates here is deeper. Stronger. Meaningful.

It's something he cares about.

It's something he's terrified of losing, now that he knows what actual team mates look like.

He didn't ask for this. He didn't ask for a stupid crush that couldn't be more than a stupid distraction and quite possibly a hammer to shatter another bond.

(He didn't dare think of Tsukishima's...more obvious...verbal advances... _teasing_ , if he has to be technical, as anything more than his wishful thinking.)

Because it's nice to...feel like that. He'll admit it.

It feels nice to like someone.

It does.

 

The biggest problem with that particular nice feeling is that it can go down the wrong lane in record time.

Like in his case.

The moment he actually _gets_ what's going on with his own head, he's already heart-broken. He tries to... _not_ want anything more, but it doesn't work like that. Not that it's wrong or anything, but that's just how the thing goes. (Sakusa-senpai has great advice to share.)

What's worse, he seems to be _physically incapable_ of telling a lie.

Like right now.

When he's all but cornered, by Tsukishima Kei, of all people, in the locker room, when there's no one else around. How convenient. Just his luck.

And the damn salt stick has to pose a question. Remark. Tease. _Something_ that makes him want to disappear on the spot and wake up from.

Because, even if Kageyama doesn't really have any experience on the romance field, he's pretty sure having someone one doesn't particularly like when one sums it all up like _them,_ isn't a very...nice feeling. At all. It tends to cause all sorts of problems. Leave everything in a mess.

Tsukishima, of course, doesn't care.

He doesn't care what goes on in that head of his. He doesn't care he's putting him in a tight spot (both literally _and_ metaphorically). He doesn't care about anything that isn't related to his question.

Remark.

Tease.

 _Something_ that would give him an answer, give them both an answer to this year and a half long... _thing_...going on between them. Ignore it as he may, dismiss it as he might, there's no denying it any more. He doesn't want to deny anything any more.

Not since the odds fell into his favour and the near impossible thing happened.

Him crushing on Kageyama Tobio.

Kageyama Tobio crushing on him.

And all that at approximately the same time.

As the glorious proverb states - if you wan something done right, do it yourself.

 

But back to the situation at hand.

 

“ _You like me, don't you?_ ”

The colour draining from his face is a rather spectacular sight, he notes, feeling a little bit guilty, because he knows this is all too sudden for him. With his history regarding relationships in all forms. With his experience with Tsukishima.

He won't break down though. He's made of tougher material than that. Tsukishima knows.

He can't lie. He knows that one, too.

So there's nothing he can do about it except face it. Even if Tsukishima's being _Tsukishima_ and a little (a lot) unfair.

The question was posed some time ago and either has yet to make a move. The taller of the two is certain that the other stopped breathing for a good while.

He still waited.

Not moving an inch from where he stood.

Kageyama had enough space to breathe. Enough space to think. Enough space to-

_Quite possibly hear the wild pounding of his heart against his rib-cage._

_Oh, the things he made Tsukishima do._

 

Normally, this is not his usual behaviour.

(Normally, he doesn't die a little bit inside when Kageyama moves away from him. So he has a great excuse.)

“ _Does it really frighten you that much?_ ” He whispers, _soft, calm, soothing_ , when he notices his defences cracking – _he could swear he_ heard _them crack_.

And it's like shattering a wind-shield with a tiny pebble.

It just crumbles into tiny, tiny specks and fragments, falling down like rain of diamonds.

His legs give out just like that.

There is no more fear.

Only relief.

 

There are tons of questions flooding in. Tsukishima's warm hands stop them for a while when he brushes a finger carefully against his cheek in a soothing manner.

“But-”

_Aren't you with-_

“ _No._ ”

 

_His voice is low and rough as he sits beside him, holding his hand in a tight but gentle grip while Kageyama rests his head against his shoulder and he shouldn't feel so damn happy it's his shoulder he's leaning on, but tell that to the bubble rising in his chest._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *takes out handkerchief from sleeve  
> *blows nose  
> *sobs
> 
> Oh, these dorks and the shit I write
> 
> *continues sobbing
> 
> But hey, kabedon.
> 
> If ya know where to look.


End file.
